Styles are more challenging...TP, WS, PL and PS come to mind. I am not overly fond of scum TP's, thus my thoughts that the other styles.

Weapon selection is poor. At 5 WT can only use ME/ME, SM/SM, HA/HA, LS or SS/ME

At 7 WT can add BA/ME.

AFter burning, this felow is likely Trem Endurance, Tremendous HP, and Great Damage.

Thoughts?

One Armed BanditArchMaster Poster

Joined: Apr 15, 2004
Posts: 2789

Posted:
Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:05 pm

I will be the first of many to recommend AB.

There is a famous AB Bloodgames design (original was named Jalon): 17-16-3-3-21-3-21 AB. It frequently wins its way out of the Bloodgames and does great in ADM level tournaments.

While lacking the raw physicals and low SZ of the design-your-own version, I'm sure you can see the similarities. Most people will recommend adding 6 to WL, 5 to DF, and 3 in some combination to ST/SZ. Any of 7-15-14-3-21-3-21 AB, 8-14, 9-13, or 10-12-14-3-21-3-21 AB seem reasonable.

He should use the FI in the main hand and DA or SC in the off-hand, and he will perform far better than the 3 WT suggests.

Is AB still a good option if I am not much of a tourney manager? This guy is mostly likely a basic only warrior (but who know's, maybe i'll change my mind).

One Armed BanditArchMaster Poster

Joined: Apr 15, 2004
Posts: 2789

Posted:
Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:49 pm

Iceman wrote:

Is AB still a good option if I am not much of a tourney manager? This guy is mostly likely a basic only warrior (but who know's, maybe i'll change my mind).

Its probably more of an ADM level tourney option. However the AB won't do poorly in the arena and who knows, a few years down the road when he is graduated and sitting in ADM, you'll have the option to run him in tournaments if you've changed your mind by then.

If I was sure I was going to to stick with basic-only play, I would still keep the 3 WT/3 SP but lean towards TP. Something like 12-14-14-3-21-3-17 TP would do very well. Stick a train or two on each of ST and CN and scum your way to victory.

AssurnasirbanipalArchMaster Poster

Joined: Oct 21, 2002
Posts: 1682
Location: San Jose, CA

Posted:
Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:26 pm

I would also go with the 7-15-14-3-21-3-21 AB design, take the four trains to Str/Con, and run with him. You likely want to run this guy FI/SC (or whatever off-hand weapon you choose). There is no wit requirement for Off-Hand weapons.

The TP designs are also quite strong and if your arena isn't full of AB's, will generate many wins. My TP design would be 11-15-14-3-21-3-17 TP

The ConsortiumArchMaster Poster

Joined: Nov 23, 2002
Posts: 9509
Location: on the golf course, in the garden, reading, traveling, and now Consulting

Posted:
Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:44 pm

The tournament aimer designs will suffer or give you strategy fits in DM. They may not even win so well. Yet, they are so good later on that they are commonly the preffered design.

We prefer a surely winning arena DM style, and recommend a TP.
You don't need to burn at all with a 11-15-14-3-21-3-17 TP.

But a stronger physical TP such as 11-18-14-3-19-3-16 TP and burn, burn, burn the stats- he should look like 13/14-20/21-14-5-21-4-17 before you worry too much about skills - could do a lot for the w/l record.

I would likely go 7-15-14-3-21-3-21 AB and send him in with no weapon at all and wear some armor and run dodge strategies. Take advantage of the DEF bonus and "dodge-scum" your opponents. It will likely not have a great record, and take 40-50 FE to graduate with that WT, but it's definately servicable. Give it a DA versus TPs.

My "broken" AB, who died in his 60th fight , started 14-19-20-4-14-9-4 and was 24-36 upon his death. He started with a - 6 PAR and a -10 DEF base dodged around half of it's attacks open handed over his career. This guy can't wear APA/F like mine did but it starts with 10 PAR and 4 DEF so that evens out the playing field.

R.I.P. Crack Baby

PS- Not to threadjack but if I ran him in a dead tourney would he have any chance of being pulled even if he didn't win it? He has the PP and 14 wins with 60 FE (well 59 FE at 24-35 he died in his 60th fight) and no ratings so he would've graduated had he survived that fight. Anyone with experience, like maybe Assur, that could advise me I'd appreciate it!

_________________A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.

Thomas Jefferson

IcemanUnchartered Poster

Joined: Jan 24, 2008
Posts: 29

Posted:
Sun Jan 27, 2013 7:19 am

Thanks for all the feedback everybody! It is very much appreciated!

The ConsortiumArchMaster Poster

Joined: Nov 23, 2002
Posts: 9509
Location: on the golf course, in the garden, reading, traveling, and now Consulting

So if your running fist/scimitar - is the assumption that you still get the defense bonus?

Running dodge, I assume. What about riposte?

Oh, and for what it is worth, I'd go the AB route suggested here. He can win and has gret options later. Plus, he's "interesting," something most value.

I don't know about the nuances of the Fist defense bonus.

I generally don't run Dodge much in basic, especially since it is only marginally suited to ABs. I would probably do no tactic in the primary strategy and Riposte in desperation, if I were going to use a tactic at all.

However, I do know that there are no WT requirements for off-hand weapons, only DF requirements. So your 3 WT guy can use an 11 WT SC in the off-hand with no penalties (assuming he has 9+ ST). Also, I've noticed that when using a Fist in the main hand and a weapon in the off-hand, your guy will attack with the off-hand weapon an inordinate amount, thus limiting the amount of parry damage he takes against TPs and the like.

Street_LegalArchMaster Poster

Joined: Jul 29, 2002
Posts: 3535
Location: The Big D (etroit) area

Posted:
Sun Jan 27, 2013 4:57 pm

One Armed Bandit wrote:

Nomad wrote:

So if your running fist/scimitar - is the assumption that you still get the defense bonus?

Running dodge, I assume. What about riposte?

Oh, and for what it is worth, I'd go the AB route suggested here. He can win and has gret options later. Plus, he's "interesting," something most value.

I don't know about the nuances of the Fist defense bonus.

I generally don't run Dodge much in basic, especially since it is only marginally suited to ABs. I would probably do no tactic in the primary strategy and Riposte in desperation, if I were going to use a tactic at all.

However, I do know that there are no WT requirements for off-hand weapons, only DF requirements. So your 3 WT guy can use an 11 WT SC in the off-hand with no penalties (assuming he has 9+ ST). Also, I've noticed that when using a Fist in the main hand and a weapon in the off-hand, your guy will attack with the off-hand weapon an inordinate amount, thus limiting the amount of parry damage he takes against TPs and the like.

Dodge isn't marginally suited to ABs!

From the Rules (Aimed Blow style):

Defensively, the Dodge tactic works well (shifting, looking for that perfect opening) and the Parry tactic works fairly well (the Aimed Blow style allows the time to build a parry defense between attacks). The Responsiveness and Riposte tactics are not effective (although many a player has thought that they should be). The Aimed Blow attack is a very deliberate blow, not a responsive action and not a blow well executed following up a riposte.

Here are faves from ADM section on Terrablood:

Tactics: 149
Bash(9) Lunge(9) Slash(14) Dodge(1) Riposte(1 None(91)

I think Parry is supposed to be marginal and Riposte well suited, a rulebook error it appears. I've had ABs use Parry tactic that did fairly well.

_________________A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.

Thomas Jefferson

One Armed BanditArchMaster Poster

Joined: Apr 15, 2004
Posts: 2789

Posted:
Sun Jan 27, 2013 5:02 pm

Street_Legal wrote:

Dodge isn't marginally suited to ABs!

From the Rules (Aimed Blow style):

Defensively, the Dodge tactic works well (shifting, looking for that perfect opening) and the Parry tactic works fairly well (the Aimed Blow style allows the time to build a parry defense between attacks). The Responsiveness and Riposte tactics are not effective (although many a player has thought that they should be). The Aimed Blow attack is a very deliberate blow, not a responsive action and not a blow well executed following up a riposte.

Here are faves from ADM section on Terrablood:

Tactics: 149
Bash(9) Lunge(9) Slash(14) Dodge(1) Riposte(18) None(91)

I think Parry is supposed to be marginal and Riposte well suited, a rulebook error it appears. I've had ABs use Parry tactic that did fairly well.

You cannot get a natural Dodge tactic favorite AB. The 1 Dodge reported to Terrablood is either an error or old data from the days when warrior could get marginally suited favorites (like a Basher getting the BS or a Lunger the SC).